


Right

by axmaree



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Spoilers for the Wind Waker, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 16:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20261029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axmaree/pseuds/axmaree
Summary: It wasn’t like he didn’t like Time. He loved Time. Time was the guiding force of the group, leading the other eight heroes through this weird adventure they’d stumbled into. He provided wisdom and good jokes simultaneously. The problem wasn’t Time.It was Wind.Or, Bip finished the Wind Waker and had a lot of feelings about it.





	Right

Wind closed his eyes and breathed out, feeling the breeze against his face. He could do this; all he had to do was let the arrow fly.

He opened his eyes and released the string.

"Hah! Yes!" Wild clapped him on the back before sprinting to the target, where two arrows pierced near the center. "You got it!"

Wind beamed. Wild handed him his arrows back with a grin as bright as Wind's own. "Soon enough you'll be shooting multiple arrows like a pro."

Wind put the arrows back in his quiver. They'd been working nearly all evening on getting him to hit the target with both arrows, with promises from Wild that he'd make Wind the best dinner possible as soon as he managed the task.

Wild led the way back to camp. "Now for something amazing. I'm thinking seafood, maybe paella?" Wind let Wild ramble on about dinner, more focused on his success with the bow.

He'd done it! He'd not only hit the target with both arrows but hit it _near the center._ Wind had never prided himself on his archery, favoring the sword more than any other weapon, but with Wild's help he'd gone from a decent archer to a good one, perhaps on his way to becoming a great one.

It'd only been two weeks since their group set out, but Wind already felt at home with them. Learning archery from Wild felt so similar to his sword lessons with Aryll after his adventures.

Wind set his bow down near his bedroll and plopped down next to the campfire. Already, Wild was gathering ingredients from his slate and putting them together in the pot over the fire. Wind's mouth watered at the sight of the fish; it'd been a while since he'd had proper seafood.

The others trickled in from their various evening activities as Wild cooked, setting down weapons and other items on their bedrolls. Wind greeted each of them as they sat around the campfire, his excitement from his earlier success still brimming over.

However, his excitement faltered when Time walked into the camp. Wind swallowed and greeted him, but it came out more choked than his greetings to the others. He hoped no one noticed.

It wasn't like he didn't _like_ Time. He loved Time. Time was the guiding force of the group, leading the other eight heroes through this weird adventure they'd stumbled into. He provided wisdom and good jokes simultaneously. The problem wasn't Time.

It was Wind.

_"Surely, you are the Hero of Time reborn!"_

The words echoed in his ears every time he saw Time. _This _is who he was supposed to be. When he was out on the open sea, piecing together the Triforce of Courage and facing down Ganon, it was easy to let go of the legend and be his own self. He was so far removed from the Hero that nobody even remembered what he was like, only that he stopped Ganon and saved Hyrule. Well, Wind had done just that.

But now, after actually _meeting _the Hero of Time, he felt a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt small. Here was this great hero, braver than anyone he'd ever met, and he was _real, _not just some legend on a stained glass window. He was a real person that Wind was supposed to be the reincarnation of.

And sure, they were all reincarnations of each other, but no one had ever told called him 'the Chosen Hero reborn' or something like that. Only ever the Hero of Time.

Wind watched him now, talking with the others, passing around plates for dinner. Everything he did seemed to deliberate, at least to Wind. There was something powerful to the way he spoke, hidden beneath his gentle words and calming voice. He moved with an unspoken power that radiated from him.

Maybe Wind was just intimidated.

He couldn't put a name to the way he felt. It wasn't a _bad_ feeling, just… weird. But, well, maybe that came with the whole "meeting your past life" business. But if that was the case, why didn't he feel this way about the others?

Dinner passed by without upset. Wind had to admit, the seafood paella was delicious. Wind was beyond grateful to Wild for putting together a meal just for him.

The others went to bed not long after dinner finished, all exhausted from the days of hiking through various Hyrules. Was that all they were meant to do on this journey? Hike? Why couldn't they just sail the Great Sea; it was much easier on the feet.

Wind settled into his bedroll, listening to the crackling fire. He needed to rest—he had second watch tonight—but his mind kept racing with his thoughts from dinner.

Why did he feel this way? Nobody else seemed to share his feelings, and many of them had probably experienced something similar. Or, well, he thought they did. He didn't know for sure; no one had ever mentioned it, but it was probably safe to assume.

For the life of him, he couldn't put a finger on his emotions. He chased countless thoughts, all of them eluding him. His brain felt like an amalgamation of blurry ideas and muddled feelings that didn't make any sense. He tossed and turned for what felt like forever before he fell into a fitful sleep.

He awoke to Twilight shaking his shoulder. Wind groaned and tried to cover his face with his blanket, but to no avail. Twilight pulled him into a sitting position.

"So tired," Wind protested.

Twilight chuckled and sent him to the lookout spot.

Wind sighed as he sat down against a tree. He'd managed to get in a few hours of blissful sleep, but it didn't feel like enough; his eyes grew heavier with each passing minute, no matter how hard he tried to stay alert. Maybe he should just wake someone else and take a double watch tomorrow night. It might be safer that way.

"Mind if I join you?"

Wind shoved a fist in his mouth to keep from shrieking. He glanced up to see Time looking down at him, wide-eyed. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I thought I made enough noise." He laughed sheepishly.

Wind breathed out and ran a hand through his hair. "No, sorry, I'm… out of it."

Time hummed. "I noticed. Can I sit?"

Wind patted the spot next to him. Time sat and leaned back on his elbows, letting the breeze blow his hair away from his face.

He looked different at night, without all his armor and weapons. More relaxed, more… human. No, that wasn't the word for it. Time always seemed _human_, kind of like a mentor or teacher. No, no, the word Wind was looking for was…

Real.

Time didn't look like some mosaic or statue or legend in his simple undershirt and trousers. He looked like, well, a man. A young man at that. Wind didn't know how old Time was, mentally or physically, but right now he just seemed young. Normal. Wind didn't know if that made him feel better or worse.

Wind searched for something to focus on instead of his inexplicable emotions. His eyes roamed his surroundings before landing on Time's hair, caught in the gentle breeze. He'd never really thought about the Old Man's hair before—he'd never had any reason to—but now that he looked at it, it seemed so… choppy. Had it been cut in a battle, maybe? Did he cut it himself, or maybe someone cut it for him? He _had_ mentioned he was married; maybe his wife cut it? Wind wondered when they would meet her.

"Wind?" Time's voice drew his thoughts to the present.

"Huh?"

"You alright?" Time's gaze fell on him, concerned. "You zoned out there."

Wind shook his head a few times to clear it. Okay, so maybe focusing on Time's hair was a bad idea.

That was a weird sentence.

_Focus, Link!_

"Sorry, sorry." Wind pulled his gaze away from Time's hair and tried to look casually at the forest in front of them. He hoped his gaze didn't seem too forced. "I'm a little tired."

Time chuckled. "I could take over for you; I already can't sleep."

_No!_ No, no, Wind couldn't just pawn his watch off on Time. That would make him look lazy, especially since Wind didn't typically take watch. "I'm alright, thanks Time." His voice sounded a lot steadier than he felt.

Time nodded. Wind couldn't read his gaze, but he hoped Time believed him.

They fell silent, the only sounds coming from the charred firewood as it cracked and disintegrated over the remaining embers of last night's fire. Wind leaned back against the tree, the camp to his right and the woods to his left. His gaze flicked between the two, at least attempting to keep a good watch.

"Wind," Time said, and it wasn't a question. "What's wrong?"

Wind winced; so he wasn't hiding it as well as he hoped.

But how did he put his feelings into words? He couldn't lie; Time would catch him, but it he could barely articulate how he felt to himself. How could he possibly voice anything to Time?

Wind cautioned a glance up at Time, who met his eyes gently. His gaze was soft, reassuring. Time would let him take all the, well, _time_ he needed to answer, and he would let Wind refuse to answer, too. Wind could say _I don't want to talk about it_, and that would be that. Time was never one to pry.

But Wind was never one to keep secrets.

"How did you do it?"

Time looked taken aback, like that wasn't what he expected Wind to say. "What do you mean?"

"Stopping Ganon, saving all of Hyrule. How did you do it?"

Time's eyebrows drew together. "I don't understand; you stopped Ganon and saved Hyrule as well."

Wind sighed and ran a hand down his face. He gestured vaguely. "No, you don't understand. _How_ did you do it? How did you do everything _right?_ You're _the Hero of Time_. You're a legend!" Wind swept his hands out. "You saved so many people and you did it all _right_. You're… you're a hero. _The_ hero. You're who I'm supposed to be. 'The Hero of Time reborn.' That's what Ganon called me."

"I—"

Wind pointed at Time, who's eye was wide. "I was supposed to be like you, but how could I be?" He dropped his hand into his lap. "I messed up so much. I didn't even know what I was doing half the time; I was just some kid who hopped on a pirate ship to save his sister." He couldn't stop the words now; they poured from his mouth, unbidden. "I wasn't born with the Triforce of Courage or anything, I had to force it back together. I nearly died so many times, reckless decision after reckless decision. Tetra kept telling me that I rushed into everything without thinking, but I didn't listen, and it nearly cost me my life so many times."

Wind put his face in his hands. "I can't help but think that the King watched me on this journey and wished someone else was the hero."

Time didn't speak, and Wind didn't dare look up at him. What would he say? The words had spilled from Wind's mouth without him thinking about it, all his feelings finally articulating themselves. Had he just made a fool of himself? He almost told Time to forget what he said and go back to sleep, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a gentle voice. "_Wind."_

Wind looked up from his hands. Time stared at him, his eye wide and… concerned? Was that the emotion in Time's piercing gaze? "Wind," he said again.

Wind couldn't form a response.

Time shook his head. "I didn't… I wasn't _perfect_, Wind. I messed up a lot, I nearly got myself killed more times than I can count. When I set out, I didn't know what I was doing. I learned as I went, and sometimes I learned the hard way, but I was never perfect." He put his other hand on Wind's shoulder. "The legends you heard growing up… those were stories. The good parts. The parts where I did everything right and it all worked out. The legends don't tell of the near-fails and the screw-ups."

Time met Wind's eyes with more intensity than Wind had ever seen from the Old Man. "You don't need to be perfect to be a hero. You don't need to do everything right. And you sure as a hell _don't_ need to compare yourself to me.

"There was a reason that you were the one who got on that pirate ship and sailed into the unknown. There was a reason that the King set out with you. For all your mishaps and screw-ups, you did countless more things _right_. You saved your world, Wind. Not the King, not any of your friends, and not me. _You_." Time dropped his hands from Wind's shoulders and placed one over Wind's heart. "You have the Spirit of the Hero in you, and even if I didn't know him, I can almost promise that the King knew you were exactly right in every way that mattered."

Wind couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. There was a block in his throat that he tried to swallow and a stinging in his eyes that he wanted to ignore, but he couldn't. The tears welled and spilled over, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He couldn't remember the last time he cried.

He threw himself at Time, clinging to him like a lifeline in a storm. "Thank you," Wind whispered. "Thank you, _thank you."_

Time rubbed his back, humming a tune that Wind didn't recognize but found comfort in nonetheless.

When his tears dried and his head cleared, Wind pulled away from Time and wiped his eyes with a watery laugh. Time's eyes crinkled at the edges. "And for what it's worth, I think it's way cooler to force the Triforce of Courage back together. Takes some guts."

Wind barked out a laugh. He slapped a hand over his mouth and, through his fingers, said, "takes some _courage._"

Time laughed and patted him on the back. "Get some sleep, Wind, your watch is up."

Wind didn't have the energy to protest. His crying had sapped everything he had left, and now his eyes drooped. With one last _thank you_ to Time, Wind curled back up in his bedroll.

He was out as soon as his head hit the ground.

* * *

The next day, walking alongside Time, Wind felt lighter, like a weight was off his shoulders. His muddled feelings had finally become clear. He knew how he felt and why and, with Time's help, he had worked through it.

For so long, Wind had felt like he wasn't enough without knowing why. There'd just been a hollow feeling in his chest, made worse without a goodbye to his dear friend beneath the ocean. He'd never been able to ask the King, the only father figure he'd ever had, if he'd done well, if he had made him proud.

But he understood now. He understood why the world picked him to save it, inexperienced little kid as he was. No one was perfect, and he didn't need to be perfect to be the hero. He just needed to be himself.

That night, while Wild cooked, Wind left the campsite with a promise to be back for dinner. He hiked a short distance in the direction he'd seen on Wild's map—to the coast.

Wild's Hyrule had a vast ocean as well, it seemed, and they'd appeared near it when the world shifted again.

He heard the waves before he saw them, washing gently against the shore. This wasn't the Great Sea, but he didn't know how long it would be before they journeyed into his home, so this would have to do.

Maybe, somewhere beneath the waves of Wild's ocean, the remnants of a once-great kingdom rested.

He took off his shoes and walked onto the sand, warm and soft and familiar. He closed his eyes and breathed in the salty air, letting it calm his breathing.

With renewed vigor, he walked up to where the water met the sand and knelt, letting the waves wash up to him and wet his clothing. He didn't mind; he'd gone swimming with Aryll in his clothing plenty of times. This was familiar.

Wind placed his hands in the water and looked out into the ocean. It stretched on as far as he could see, meeting the setting sun in the distance. He had no idea what else was out there. Were there more islands? More people? He hoped they were happy if there were.

"H-hey." His voice cracked.

Wind swallowed. He could do this. "Hey, uh, King Daphnes. It's Link. I don't even know if you can hear me from… wherever you are, but—" his voice pitched up. He bit back against the stinging in his eyes and throat. He had to say this, _he had to._ "I understand now. Why you believed in me, trusted me with the fate of the world. I didn't before. I, uh… I thought you maybe regretted your choice. I was afraid you were disappointed by me, even if I succeeded. But I understand now. I just wanted you to know that.

"I miss you. Every day. I wish you could've come with us. I hope that… whatever happened after Hyrule flooded, you found peace. I hope you're happy, wherever you are." His voice cracked again, and the tears finally spilled over. "Thank you for believing in me, even when no one else did. Thank you for giving me—all of us—a world to hope for."

Wind reached into his bag and pulled out a flower he'd found when they entered Wild's Hyrule; red and yellow. He didn't know its name—Wild said it was just a wildflower—but its colors were familiar to Wind. He gently set the flower in the water, expecting the waves to push it right back to him, but a current caught it and carried out to sea, avoiding any waves. It seemed almost… unnatural. Wind sent a silent thank you to whoever understood and carried out his wish.

Wind chuckled. "Looks like your wish came true. That flower is from a new Hyrule. A Hyrule that's a little broken and a little messy, but a new world. Somewhere, someway, we find it—the world you wished for."

He watched the flower until it disappeared from sight. When it did, he stood and walked away from the shore, back towards the camp.

When he reached the trees, he turned back to the sea. The sun had nearly set now, casting gold and red light over the waves. Wind smiled. "Thank you."

He turned and went back to camp.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on how I played the Wind Waker, and my feelings about it. I messed up often, had a lot of near-game overs, and I needed closure with the King.
> 
> Thank you for reading this. I put a lot of love into this fic, and it's very personal to me. I'd appreciate it if you guys could tell me what you thought :)


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